A Conversation About the Interdependence of Leaders, Organizations and Communities

I had the absolute joy of meeting this week’s guest – Marcella Tillet – in 2019, through her work as VP of Programs and Partnerships at the Brooklyn Community Foundation.  Marcella is an incredible steward of the philanthropic and programmatic work at BCF, as you’ll hear in our conversation. She is thoughtful and intentional and proactive in centering the experiences and perspectives of grantees and their communities, in it is because she is this way that she has such insight into our theme of sustainability.

Marcella and I talk about so many things… The role NPs play as anchors and sources of hope within their communities, and how when leaders burn out or organizations fail to thrive, that can send ripples of instability through communities. And about how for that reason – and many others – it is critical that we collectively crack the code on supporting both individuals and organizations in carrying out their missions in ways that can be sustained. 

And she has wonderful advice for nonprofit leaders seeking to partner with funders in creating an eco-system that supports their own sustainability and that of their organization more broadly.